Indian-origin doctors on Friday won an appeal in the British high court under which international medical graduates on the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme visa can expect to be treated on merit for the 2008 recruitment process and onwards when they compete with UK and EU citizens for postgraduate training jobs.

The judges upheld the appeal filed by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin that advice given by the Department of Health to the National Health Service Employers regarding doctors on the HSMP was not lawful.

The court unanimously agreed that the guidance issued by the Department of Health on treatment of doctors on HSMP was not lawful.

The appeal was heard by Lord Justice Sedley, Lord Justice Maurice Kay and Lord Justice Rimer.

Buddhdev Pandya, MBE corporate advisor to the BAPIO, said, "Earlier the high court had also ruled that the department did not carry out a Race Impact Assessment and I believe that these historical judgments are both significant and will have significant impact on the careers of thousands of international medical graduates."